Ring triggered mute

Abstract

A mute trigger apparatus includes a transducer, a database, a processor, a comparator and a mute switch. The transducer is responsive to acoustic wave energy to develop a first electrical signal commensurate with said acoustic wave energy. The database contains stored signal data. The processor is responsive to the first electrical signal to develop dynamic signal data. The comparator is responsive to each of the stored signal data and the dynamic signal data to develop a second electrical signal in the event the stored signal data and the dynamic signal data are substantially equivalent. The mute switch has an off state and an on state. The mute switch is normally biased in its off state and transitionable to its on state in response to the second electrical signal.

What is claimed as the invention is:  
     
         1 . A mute trigger apparatus comprising: 
 a transducer responsive to acoustic wave energy to develop a first electrical signal commensurate with said acoustic wave energy;    a database containing stored signal data;    a processor responsive to said first electrical signal to develop dynamic signal data; and    a comparator responsive to each of said stored signal data and said dynamic signal data to develop a second electrical signal in the event said stored signal data and said dynamic signal data are substantially equivalent, said second electrical signal being adapted to trigger a mute switch.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said dynamic signal data is developed as time sampled values of said first electrical signal.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said dynamic signal data is further developed as filtered time sampled values.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus is set forth in  claim 2  where in said dynamic signal data is further developed as frequency domain data.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said acoustic wave energy includes continuous wave energy and momentary wave energy, said processor being further responsive to said continuous wave energy to subtract said continuous wave energy from said acoustic wave energy such that said dynamic signal data contains information substantially of only said momentary wave energy.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said stored signal data is developed from an instance of said momentary wave energy.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 6  wherein said transducer in response to said instance develops said first electrical signal commensurate with said instance and said processor in response to said first electrical signal commensurate with said instance develops said dynamic signal data to be stored as an instance of said stored signal data.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said second electrical signal is further adapted to trigger response in further electronic devices.  
     
     
         9 . In an audio apparatus including a mute switch and an audio output amplifier, said mute switch having an OFF state and an ON state, said audio output amplifier amplifying a low level audio input signal applied thereto to develop an amplified audio output signal when said mute switch is in said OFF state and muting said audio output signal when said mute switch is in said ON state, a mute trigger apparatus comprising: 
 a transducer responsive to acoustic wave energy to develop a first electrical signal commensurate with said acoustic wave energy;    a database containing stored signal data;    a processor responsive to said first electrical signal to develop a dynamic signal data from said first electrical signal; and    a comparator responsive to said dynamic signal data and said stored signal data to develop a second electrical signal in the event said dynamic signal data is substantially equivalent to said stored signal data, said mute switch being transitionable to said on state in response to said second electrical signal.    
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said dynamic signal data is developed as time sampled values of said first electrical signal.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said dynamic signal data is further developed as filtered time sampled values.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus is set forth in  claim 10  where in said dynamic signal data is further developed as frequency domain data.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said acoustic wave energy includes continuous wave energy and momentary wave energy, said processor being further responsive to said continuous wave energy to subtract said continuous wave energy from said acoustic wave energy such that said dynamic signal data contains information substantially of only said momentary wave energy.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said processor is further responsive to each of said audio input signal and said first electrical signal to subtract said audio input signal from said first electrical signal.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said stored signal data is developed from an instance of said momentary wave energy.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said transducer in response to said instance develops said first electrical signal commensurate with said instance and said processor in response to said first electrical signal commensurate with said instance develops said dynamic signal data to be stored as an instance of said stored signal data.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said audio apparatus is further responsive to said second electrical signal to develop an acoustic signal from said stored signal data equivalent to said dynamic signal data.  
     
     
         18 . A mute trigger method comprising steps of: 
 detecting acoustic wave energy;    developing dynamic data from said acoustic wave energy;    comparing said dynamic data to stored data; and    generating a mute trigger in the event said dynamic data and said stored data are substantially equivalent.    
     
     
         19 . A method as set forth in  claim 18  wherein said developing step includes the step of subtracting continuous wave energy from said acoustic wave energy such that momentary wave energy indicative of a sound to trigger a mute remains.  
     
     
         20 . A method as set forth in  claim 19  wherein said developing step further includes the step of sampling the momentary wave energy.  
     
     
         21 . A method as set forth in  claim 20  wherein said developing step further includes the step of filtering the sampled wave energy.  
     
     
         22 . A method as set forth in  claim 20  wherein said developing step further includes the step of converting the sampled energy into the frequency domain.